On Day 21 we look back at a year in which Warwickshire County Council joined in the celebrations of 200 years of rail travel.
As 2025 draws to a close, we’re celebrating the incredible teams who make a difference in Warwickshire every single day.
On Day 21 we look back at a year in which Warwickshire County Council joined in the celebrations of 200 years of rail travel. In recent years, the county council has supported the building of five stations. Rail travel remains a key part of our transport strategy.
During 2025, Warwickshire County Council has joined the wider rail industry in celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway since passengers were carried on the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1825.
Over the last 12 months, the council has looked back at its key achievements in supporting and developing rail across Warwickshire for the benefit of residents, businesses and those visiting the county.
The five railway stations which the County Council has played a key role in delivering (Warwick Parkway, Coleshill Parkway, Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway, Bermuda Park and Kenilworth) now account for one in every ten journeys made by rail across Warwickshire.
2025 was also a key milestone for Warwick Parkway, marking 25 years since it opened in October 2000. A special event was held at the station, jointly organised with Chiltern Railways, to celebrate the success the station has brought to the sub-region with 440,000 journeys being made by passengers in 2023/24.
Along with looking back over the last 200 years, a key element of the Railway 200 initiative is to look to the future and inspire the next generation of railway engineers and planners. With significant change taking place within the rail sector and new opportunities on the horizon, the County Council is planning to review its Rail Strategy in 2026. This forms an important part of the County Council’s Local Transport Plan (LTP4), which was adopted in July 2023.
Future projects include the proposal for a new station to the east of Rugby adjacent to the Houlton development, known as Rugby Parkway, which is at an advanced stage of development. A new parkway station to serve Nuneaton, located near to where the Birmingham to Leicester rail line crosses the A5, is also proposed.
The County Council also plans improved passenger facilities at a number of stations, including the provision of an ‘Access for All’ footbridge with passenger lifts at Atherstone and better access by public transport or walking or cycling to Nuneaton station as part of the wider ‘Transforming Nuneaton’ project.
The review of the Rail Strategy will also look to future opportunities arising from a range of projects across the Midlands, including the opening of HS2 and the East-West Rail project between Oxford and Cambridge.
Cllr Jennifer Warren at Warwickshire County Council said:
“We have achieved significant success by investing in rail over the last 25-30 years. We remain committed to a pipeline of future projects which will grow rail patronage across the county. It is vital that Warwickshire residents, businesses and visitors are able to take advantage of new or improved journey opportunities and that rail travel continues to contribute towards our objectives of supporting growth and offering different modes of transport to our residents and visitors.”
We’ll see you tomorrow for day 22 of our Christmas countdown calendar!
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